Rumor Has It I'm Dating the Football Captain

Chapter 7: Chapter 7: The Fake Girlfriend Gets Caught

Logan’s face turned completely pale.

The orange light from the massive bonfire cast long shadows over Zoey’s face. She did not look sad. She looked disgusted. The sweet, heavy scent of her floral perfume clashed horribly with the harsh smell of burning wood.

”Zoey, please,” Logan said. He dropped his hands and looked around frantically. A few football players nearby were starting to stare. ”Keep your voice down. People are looking.”

”Let them look,” Zoey snapped. She crossed her arms tightly over her clean white jacket. ”You told me you were completely over her. You told me she was crazy and desperate.”

Logan swallowed hard. ”She is.”

Zoey let out a loud, harsh laugh. ”No. You are. You used me to make yourself look like the good guy. And the absolute second she gets some attention from someone else, you corner her in the dark at a party you were not even invited to. You are pathetic, Logan.”

Logan reached his hand out toward her arm. ”We can talk about this somewhere else.”

Zoey slapped his hand away instantly. The smack echoed sharply over the heavy bass of the music.

”We are not talking at all,” Zoey said coldly. ”We are done. Have fun managing your precious reputation all by yourself.”

Zoey turned around. She marched back into the crowded bodies without looking back once.

Logan stood frozen in the mud. His perfect, carefully crafted image was completely shattering in real time. He slowly turned his head to look at Audrey. His eyes were wide and filled with raw panic.

”Audrey,” Logan started.

”Do not say my name,” Audrey said quietly.

She felt absolutely zero pity for him. The paralyzing fear that usually gripped her chest was completely gone. She just felt exhausted. She stepped around him, keeping a wide physical distance between them, and walked straight toward the dark edge of the lake.

She needed to breathe. The thick smoke and the lingering smell of his sterile peppermint cologne were making her stomach turn.

The loud noise of the party faded slightly as she reached the dark water. The wet grass soaked entirely through her white sneakers, chilling her toes. The night wind was freezing, but it felt amazing against her hot, flushed face.

Heavy footsteps crunched on the gravel directly behind her.

Audrey braced herself. She gripped her denim jacket, fully ready to turn around and scream at Logan.

”I leave you alone for five minutes and you start a public breakup.”

Audrey instantly dropped her tense shoulders. She turned around.

Mason walked out of the shadows. He held two red plastic cups. His dark grey flannel was casually unbuttoned, showing a plain black t-shirt underneath. He looked completely relaxed, a stark contrast to the nervous wreck she had just left behind.

”I did not start anything,” Audrey said defensively. ”And it was not my breakup.”

Mason stopped next to her. He handed her one of the red cups. ”Drink this. It is just water. Leo did not touch it, I promise.”

Audrey took the cup. Her hands were still shaking slightly, but she took a long, desperate drink. The cold water instantly helped clear the thick, scratchy smoke from her throat.

”Who was the girl in the white jacket?” Mason asked. He took a drink from his own cup. ”She looked like she was ready to set him on fire.”

”That was Zoey,” Audrey explained flatly. ”Logan’s fake girlfriend. Well, his ex fake girlfriend now, I guess.”

Mason tilted his head. He looked down at her. His warm brown eyes sparked with genuine amusement.

”Drama,” Mason said smoothly. ”I absolutely love drama. Did she yell at him?”

”Yes.”

”Did people see it happen?”

”A few.”

Mason laughed. The rich sound rumbled deep in his broad chest. ”Good. He deserves to sweat a little. He is a coward.”

Audrey looked away. She watched the dark water ripple against the muddy shore. She did not like Mason. He was annoying. He invaded her personal space constantly. But she had to admit, he saw right through Logan instantly. He did not buy the perfect student council act for one single second.

”I am going home,” Audrey announced. She handed the plastic cup back to him.

Mason raised a dark eyebrow. ”Already? The party just started.”

”I hit my social limit,” Audrey said. She wrapped her denim jacket much tighter around herself. ”Plus, I have a 200-level Media Law CBT to study for. Zoya and Chloe are waiting for me at the apartment to help quiz me.”

Mason stared at her for a second. Then a slow, teasing smile spread across his handsome face.

”A CBT?” Mason repeated. ”On a Friday night? You really are a massive nerd.”

”I like passing my classes, Calloway,” Audrey shot back. ”It is a very novel concept for star athletes, I know. But some of us actually have to study to pass our exams.”

Mason pressed his free hand to his chest in fake agony. ”Ouch. That is hurtful. I have a very respectable GPA.”

”Sure you do.”

”I will walk you back,” Mason said. He tossed the empty plastic cups into a nearby trash bin.

Audrey shook her head immediately. ”No. You do not need to do that. Stay here with your team.”

”I cannot stay here,” Mason reasoned. He stepped closer, crowding her space just enough to be highly irritating. ”If the football captain lets his brand new girlfriend walk home alone in the dark, the campus gossip page will have a total field day. Fake boyfriend duties, Audrey.”

”I know the way back to my own apartment.”

”Walk, or I will literally pick you up and carry you.”

Audrey glared at him. She hated that he was probably telling the truth. ”You are infuriating.”

”And you are stalling. Let’s go.”

The walk back to the apartment dorms was surprisingly quiet.

The loud, thumping bass of the bonfire music quickly faded into the background. The only sounds were the crickets in the tall grass and their shoes hitting the concrete pavement. The tall streetlights cast long, yellow shadows ahead of them.

Audrey kept her hands shoved deep into her jacket pockets. She walked quickly. She just wanted to get inside, lock her door, and put on her softest sweatpants.

Mason walked casually beside her. He took long, lazy strides. He did not look tired from practice anymore. He looked like he was plotting something.

He suddenly reached over and pulled the hood of her sweatshirt up completely over her head, covering her eyes.

”Hey!” Audrey swatted his large hand away. She quickly pushed the hood back down. ”Stop touching my clothes.”

”You look cold,” Mason teased. ”I am just being a gentleman.”

”You are being annoying.”

”You really hate sports, don’t you?” Mason asked, completely ignoring her glare to change the subject.

”I do not hate them,” Audrey said defensively. ”I just do not understand the absolute obsession. It is literally just twenty-two grown men running across a grassy field chasing a black and white round ball.”

Mason gasped dramatically. He put a hand over his heart again. ”A black and white round ball? Audrey, you wound me. It is a beautiful game of strategy and pure endurance. It is an art form.”

”It is sweaty,” Audrey corrected. ”And entirely too loud.”

Mason laughed brightly. The golden retriever energy was back in full force. He absolutely loved it when she dropped her guard. He did not have romantic feelings for her at all. He just thought she was hilarious. Every other girl on campus agreed with everything he said just because he was the captain. Audrey actively argued with him about everything. It was incredibly refreshing.

”You know,” Mason said smoothly. ”For someone who hates attention, you really know how to make a scene. Two exes fighting over you in the middle of a football party. Very impressive.”

”They were not fighting over me. Logan is just a total control freak.”

”He is definitely a freak,” Mason agreed easily. ”But you handled it well. You did not even cry.”

Audrey looked up at him. ”Why would I cry?”

”Most people cry when their terrible ex corners them,” Mason pointed out. He bumped his broad shoulder against hers lightly. ”But you just looked like you wanted to stab him with a sharp stick.”

Audrey let out a tiny, accidental laugh. She covered her mouth instantly, but Mason definitely heard it.

”There it is,” Mason said happily. ”I knew you were having fun tonight.”

”I was absolutely not having fun.”

”You laughed.”

”It was a reflex. Like sneezing.”

They finally reached the front steps of Audrey’s apartment building. The brick walls looked warm and inviting under the glowing porch light.

Audrey walked up the first two steps and turned around. She was finally on his eye level.

”Safe and sound,” Audrey declared. ”Thank you for the escort. You can go back to your adoring fans now.”

Mason stuffed his hands deep into his flannel pockets. He rocked back on his heels. He looked up at her with a highly entertained expression.

”You are very welcome,” Mason said. ”Tell Zoya and Chloe I said hello.”

Audrey reached for the heavy glass door. She just needed to pull it open and this exhausting night would finally be over.

”Oh, wait,” Mason said suddenly.

Audrey stopped. She looked over her shoulder. ”What?”

Mason took one step up the concrete stairs. The playful smile completely vanished from his handsome face. He suddenly looked very serious.

”Pack a bag tonight,” Mason said quietly.

Audrey frowned in deep confusion. ”Pack a bag? For what? I just told you I have a Media Law test to study for.”

”You can bring your flashcards,” Mason said smoothly. ”But you need a bag. The team rented a massive cabin by the lake for the weekend. We leave tomorrow morning.”

Audrey stared at him. Her tired brain tried to process the words. ”Okay. Have fun. Do not drown.”

”You are coming with us,” Mason corrected.

Audrey froze completely. ”No, I am not.”

”Yes, you are,” Mason insisted. He leaned closer. His dark eyes locked onto hers. ”Coach wants team bonding. Everyone is bringing their girlfriends. If the captain’s girlfriend suddenly refuses to show up to the biggest weekend of the semester, everyone will know we are faking it.”

”I do not care!” Audrey whispered loudly, panicked. ”I am not spending two days in the woods with twenty giant football players!”

Mason smiled. It was a wicked, entirely challenging smile.

”You have to,” Mason said softly. ”Or I will send Leo to your apartment tomorrow at exactly six in the morning with a megaphone to beg you. And we both know Zoya would actually murder him.”

Audrey felt her jaw drop. She stared at him in absolute horror.

Before she could form a single word to argue, Mason took a step back down the stairs. He gave her a lazy, two-finger salute.

”See you at eight, girlfriend,” Mason called out cheerfully.

He turned around and walked away into the dark, leaving Audrey standing completely frozen on the steps.